Fallon may face disrepute investigation.

Champion Flat jockey Kieran Fallon may face an investigation by the Jockey Club into possible claims of race-fixing following his riding of runner-up Ballinger Ridge at Lingfield last week.

The controversial ride, in which Fallon appeared to ease his mount over a furlong out when holding a large lead, has led the Jockey Club to investigate the betting patterns for the race while undercover reporters from the News Of The World newspaper recorded conversations with Fallon in which he predicted correctly the outcome of the race.

The tabloid newspaper described the incident as 'the worst sports scandal of the decade' while Jockey Club PR director John Maxse stated that 'the article is potentially very damaging to Kieran Fallon as an individual and, as a result of his status in the sport as champion jockey, there are implications for racing as a whole.'

John Blake, chief executive of the Jockeys´ Association, admitted that Fallon was 'a bit naive' to meet the reporters from the News Of The World but added 'I´m very disappointed that our six-time Champion Jockey should be targetted in this way. The fact of the matter is, though, that nowhere in the five pages of the story was there any evidence that Kieran either gave information for reward or that he has been involved in race-fixing of any kind.'

Blake added 'To me, the Lingfield race appears to have been a mandatory lapse, an injudicious ride, if you want to put it that way, which I am sure will be fully investigated by the Jockey Club and subject to all the sanctions it has in its power.'